Niantic updates Pokémon Go in effort to limit coronavirus spread

Enlarge / Please practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from this Abra.

With widespread cancellations of public gatherings and health officials urging social distancing programs in response to the spread of COVID-19, it seems like an ill-advised time to play a game like Poki(C)mon Go, which requires walking around outside and often congregating in the real world with other players. But developer Niantic is taking steps to reduce the need for that kind of public interaction with updates announced this week.

For instance, players are now able to purchase in-game incense items at a more than 99 percent discount, letting them attract nearby Poki(C)mon to their current location without the need to leave the house. Poki(C)mon will also appear more frequently and in more locations to limit the need for extended travel while playing the game.

In addition, Poki(C)mon eggs now also hatch twice as quickly, reducing the need to walk around outside, and Poki(C)stops will drop more frequent gifts, reducing the need to travel to lots of them in order to share crucial items with friends. And Niantic has postponed Abra Community Day, a planned in-game event encouraging players to get out to catch high numbers of one specific Poki(C)mon.

Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments